A House Is Not A Home
by Increasing Paranoia
Summary: Sky never expected to see his fellow squad members after retiring, so it took him a bit longer than usual to process the fact that there was a former green ranger standing on his doorstep.
1. The Green Whirlwind

When Sky retired from being a ranger (except retiring from the Ranger's was like retiring from the Armed Forces - you never _really_ retired) he wasn't expecting to keep in touch with his squad members all that much. Sure, they'd gather on birthdays and holidays, but aside from their battles with Gruum, what did the five of them _really_ have in common? So one by one they left the academy and while it was bittersweet, it wasn't the end of the world. So it took Sky a few moments longer than usual to register the fact that there was a former green ranger standing on his doorstep.

"Hey, Sky, sorry to just show up like this, but I was called to attend a conference and the hotels are all booked up so I thought maybe Z could put me up but she's out of town, but she mentioned that you weren't even a mile from her and gave me your address so, could I stay here for the week?" Bridge finished, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Sky blinked, trying to register everything that had poured out of the younger man's mouth. He was pretty sure he was hallucinating, but Bridge was looking at him expectantly, so he figured he should say _something_.

"Uh...sure." Sky stated, moving aside to let Bridge in. The younger man bounded into the house with a grin.

"Oh, thanks! I promise you, you won't even know I'm here!" Oh, what a lie.

* * *

The honeymoon was over at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. Sky staggered out of his bedroom with one goal in mind. _Coffee_. Pin-balling down the hallway, the blond entered the kitchen and bee-lined straight to his coffee pot. Except...there was no coffee. Sky stared at it for a full minute, his mind unable to comprehend the abject terror of an empty coffeepot. He pinched himself - just to make sure. Nope, still no coffee. He quickly set about brewing a new pot, wondering what had happened to the other. The solution to that question was found sprawled out on the living room floor with half a dozen blueprints around him and a half-filled coffee mug precariously balanced on the arm of his sofa. Sky grabbed the mug, setting it in the sink before grabbing his keys, locking the door behind him and going for his morning run.

Sky didn't think that Bridge could get into all that much trouble in half an hour. He was right. Unlocking the door, the scene was the exact same as when he left. He by-passed the sprawled ranger (he wasn't going to get a slipped disc trying to drag that unconscious boy back to the guest room. For as thin as Bridge was, Sky knew from experience that his friend was _heavy_.) and continued on to the shower. Exiting fifteen minutes later, the former blue ranger was beginning to feel human. He re-entered the kitchen with much more grace than he had earlier, and poured himself that sacred first morning cup. He estimated he had another fifteen minutes until Bridge began stirring. He was correct.

At seven o'clock, just as Sky had begun making breakfast, a small thudding noise emitted from the living room. "Ugh." Sky bit back a laugh. "Wha time'sit?" The older boy glanced over his shoulder and could just make out the top of Bridge's head over the back of his couch.

"What? Try speaking the English language." Sometimes, he just couldn't help himself from teasing the younger boy. Bridge glared at him before clambering to his feet. Catching a glance at the clock, the brown-haired boy uttered a short curse before stumbling down the hallway. A few seconds later Sky heard the shower turn on. He finished cooking breakfast - French Toast - and set a plate aside for Bridge before taking his own plate to the table. He lost a few minutes in trying to find the morning paper (sports section was halfway under his living room chair, the front page news under the sofa cushion - Sky didn't even want to know _why_ Bridge had left them there) before pouring himself another cup of coffee and sitting down to enjoy his breakfast. He was halfway through his breakfast and the paper before Bridge came trundling down the hall, pulling his shirt on over his head.

"This mine?" he asked, a piece of French Toast already crammed in his mouth. Sky laughed in response before turning back to the paper. "Thanks again for letting me stay. Sorry about the mess. I couldn't sleep last night."

"So you went on a coffee-induced inventing spree?" Sky questioned, setting the paper aside. Bridge shrugged sheepishly. "I have to leave for work shortly. Are you going to be okay until your convention starts?"

"Yeah. I know where the basics are. I already looked up the layout of the town and everything, so I know where I have to go and how to get there."

"Alright," Sky stated, dumping his dishes into the sink. He'd take care of all the dishes after dinner tonight. "Try not to destroy my house before I get home, alright?" Bridge grinned.

"That mean I get to try and destroy it _after_ you get home?" Sky rolled his eyes before brushing passed the younger boy, heading to his room to get ready for work.

* * *

Sky came home to a sticky note stuck to his front door. _Out with some scientists from the Convention. See you tonight. -Bridge._ He peeled it from his door, not able to hide a smirk at the fact that the note was green, and hip-checked the door open. And stood in the doorway blinking. There was a trail of mud (mud? It was the middle of summer and it had yet to rain, where did he find _mud_ to trail in?) across his previously clean hardwood floor. Papers were littered across his living room and Sky was intensely glad he had stopped for groceries on his way home because judging by the pile of dishes in his sink he was almost certain that there was nothing left in his fridge. He set the groceries on the counter, deciding he could take the time to change out of his work-suit before dealing with the pandemonium Bridge left behind. Entering the bathroom, Sky took in the state of its disrepair. There was a sopping towel on the floor, clothes hanging on random surfaces, dried toothpaste hardening in the sink and _what_ was on the mirror? Sky heaved a put upon sigh and changed before he began cleaning.

Bridge fell through the door a little after 10:00 p.m. Sky's only reaction was to inform his friend to clean up after himself while he stayed here. Bridge shot him a grin, promising that Sky wouldn't even know he was there. By the end of seven days, Sky was ready to kill him.

After Bridge left, Sky began the process of cleaning up. He had cleaned during the former green ranger's stay, but with Bridge out of the way, Sky could clean the little ditzy things he had ignored while Bridge was here. He got down on his hands and knees and scrubbed the bathroom tile, getting the dirt out of the cracks. He scrubbed out the kitchen sink, and swept under the refrigerator. He actually bothered to dust the top of the bookcase in the living room. After he finished, he put the cleaning supplies away, sat down with a cup of coffee and listened to the silence of the house. For the first two days, he hated it.

* * *

A peaceful month had passed since Bridge has first turned up on Sky's doorstep. Sky was even getting back in the normal swing of things. So it was a bit disconcerting to come home and find his friend sprawled on the couch in his living room. Especially when Sky knew he had never given the younger boy a key. He set his umbrella in the stand before turning his attention to Bridge.

"How did you get in?" he demanded, dumping his satchel inside the door. He winced when he heard it hit the ground and silently hoped that he hadn't just killed his laptop.

"You're home!" Bridge greeted cheerfully, ignoring Sky's question. "I have a favor. There's another conference -"

"No."

"It'll just be for a few-"

"No."

"And I don't have the money for a-"

"Fine." Bridge shot Sky his trademarked grin.

"Thanks, you're a true friend." Sky's gaze moved from Bridge's face to the discoloration on his couch. Bridge followed his gaze. "It'll come right out, it's water." he assured. Sky was beginning to regret his decision already.

* * *

"Why are you buying this stuff?" Bridge asked, wrinkling his nose as Sky added a head of lettuce to the shopping cart.

"Because it's healthy. You should eat more of it." He stated, pulling out the box of cookies and bag of candy Bridge had not so surreptitiously tried to add. He left the gummy worms.

"Therein lies the problem. Healthy stuff costs more than the junk I eat. It's a terrible conundrum."

"I thought scientists were supposed to make more than the average person." Sky stated, adding milk into the cart.

"Depends on what area of science you practice in. I'm a poor scientist." Bridge stated easily.

"Hence why you always wind up on my doorstep whenever you have to attend anything in the city, hmm?" Bridge grinned, trying (unsuccessfully) to sneak some more snack food into Sky's cart.

"That's why your my best friend."

"Because I lend you the guest bed at my house? Good to know your standards are that low."

* * *

Bridge had asked Sky if he could have a few of the scientists over one night for a barbecue. Since Bridge had actually _asked_ instead of just showing up with them, Sky had gone shopping and gotten the required food. He even deigned to work the grill (though that was mostly because he didn't trust Bridge to not blow it up) while Bridge weaved in and out of the crowd, making small talk and refilling drinks. To Sky, everything was completely normal. Bridge was off socializing, he was being left alone and all was good on the friend front. It was only when he overhead one of the scientists, Sky couldn't remember her name, asking Bridge why his _boyfriend_ was so quiet that the ranger realized that their friendship could be totally misconstrued. He paused, waiting to hear how Bridge would answer. The younger boy stuttered before laughing awkwardly. Sky tuned out whatever it was Bridge said, returning to flipping the hamburgers. He had heard what he needed to hear.

* * *

It was another four months of random visits before Sky broke down and finally gave Bridge a copy of his house key. It was another two months _after_ that before Bridge asked Sky to help him find an apartment. His work had transferred him, and since Sky knew the area better than he did it was his obligation to help Bridge find affordable housing. That was three months ago, and Bridge was still living in his guest room. Sky was pretty sure that Bridge had moved in with him, but not sure enough to ask. It would be pretty awkward thing to be wrong about.

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	2. Becoming Who We Should Be

Previously: Sky was pretty sure that Bridge had moved in with him, but not sure enough to ask. It would be a pretty awkward thing to be wrong about.

Sky all but fell into his house, exhaustion rolling off of him like waves. He hung his coat up in the closet and placed his case in its normal spot before crossing to the living room. He dumped his keys onto the coffee table - which had just miraculously _appeared_ in his living room - and sank into his recliner. Bridge looked up from his papers, seated in his own chair - which, again, had just miraculously appeared.

"I ordered pizza for dinner. Figured you wouldn't want to cook tonight." The blond hummed his response and Bridge took it was approval for his actions. "Bad day?" he inquired. Sky groaned as he hefted himself out of the chair.

"Depositions. _All day_." Sky responded, moseying into the kitchen. "Want a beer?" he asked, cracking open the fridge. He dug around - a neat fridge was a lost cause anymore - and pulled two bottles out, popping the caps off and passing one to his friend. "So what's going on at the lab lately?" he asked, flopping back into his chair. He looked at the younger boy, who was frowning down at his papers.

"The usual. We're trying to isolate a certain gene abnormality. It's not going so well." Sky raised an eyebrow but the doorbell interrupted anything else Bridge might have said. "That'll be the pizza," Bridge stated, shoving his papers out of the way. Sky went and got paper plates while the younger boy paid for the delivery. The blond felt a small smile tug at his lips when Bridge turned around with a huge grin on his face, pizza boxes in hand.

It was…relaxing. Disarmingly so. The TV played some black and white film in the background and if Sky were paying more attention, he might have recognized it as a Hitchcock film. But he had a plate of warm food, a cold beer, a comfortable chair and a good friend to share it with. He was content.

* * *

Somewhere along the lines a routine developed. Nine times out of ten, Sky would get home before Bridge. On the days Bridge got home first - which usually occurred when Sky had to go out of town, he would call for pizza or Chinese. Anything, really, that delivered. On the days Sky got home first, he would change out of his suit into sweatpants and an old t-shirt, rumble around inside the fridge until he had the requisite ingredients and begin preparing dinner. By the time Bridge got home from the lab, a delicious odor would have wafted throughout the house and the younger boy's stomach would always growl in appreciation. By the time the younger boy got showered and changed, Sky would be pulling their dinner out of the oven or off the stove. They would eat at the table, or in the living room, or, occasionally, out of the pan itself. Then, after they had finished eating, Bridge would dump the dishes in the sink claiming he would get them later - though he never did - and they would collapse on the couch and watch a movie, game, or whatever else they decided on. They'd laugh a lot, argue a little, and Sky began to realize that he'd steadily been getting happier since Bridge showed up.

That happiness was nearly destroyed five months after Bridge first moved in. He came home from the lab in a subdued mood and only picked at his dinner before suddenly blurting out that his co-worker's neighbor was moving. It was a nice-sized apartment, affordable, and she felt he should take the apartment and stop imposing on Sky. The blond froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. He set it down, cleared his throat, and wiped his mouth before speaking.

"You're not imposing," he said, when what he _really_ wanted to do was scream HELL, NO! DON'T TAKE THE APARTMENT! "I like having you, and you're more than welcome to stay. But if you think you should take the offer, then I don't see why you shouldn't." Bridge had nodded morosely and Sky wanted to _kill_ his busybody co-worker.

That weekend Sky had trailed behind Bridge as he went from room to room and collected his things. The blond felt like the younger boy was erasing himself from Sky's life and Sky could feel his blood begin to boil. He stalked into the living room and threw himself into his chair. He glared at the indents that Bridge's coffee table had left when the movers took it that morning and he growled low in his throat. He was interrupted halfway into a full-blown sulk by Bridge.

"That's the rest of it," he stated, setting four bags down at the end of the hall. "Ready when you are." Sky said nothing, choosing instead to stand and grab the bags.

The fight broke out on the way to the apartment. It started as teasing because Bridge had zoned out and forgot to tell Sky to turn, escalated into an argument about who's fault it was, turned into a screaming match about the best way to get to the apartment from where they were and was _really_ about neither one of them wanting Bridge to move out. They pulled into the parking lot in an icy silence and Sky left as soon as Bridge's things were unpacked. They didn't talk to each other for an entire week - until Sky's cell rang and he rushed to the apartment complex.

"Bridge? Bridge?!" he called, elbowing his way through the crowd.

"Here," the younger boy called before deteriorating into a coughing fit. He was sitting in the back of an ambulance, an orange shock blanket wrapped around him. Sky rushed to him.

"Bridge, what happened?" he asked, wiping soot off of the scientist's face.

"I got hungry, and didn't want delivery." Bridge answered petulantly, and if Sky laughed it was only as an alternative to crying. Bridge pouted at him and Sky grabbed his face and kissed the younger boy. Bridge made a surprised noise, which turned into him coughing into Sky's mouth.

"That was _really_ disgusting," Sky whispered before giving Bridge another soft kiss.

"Sorry," Bridge sighed, not looking very apologetic.

"Come on," Sky stated, pulling Bridge to his feet. "Let's get you home and I'll make you something to eat. We can get your things tomorrow." Bridge tossed the blanket aside before following Sky back to his car. Small coughing fits continued to wrack his thin frame but he insisted he didn't need oxygen.

"Just feed me and put me to sleep." Sky laughed, but started the car and drove home. And if he happened to make French toast even though it was dinner, well...it _was_ Bridge's favorite. And if Bridge just _happened_ to sleep in Sky's room that night...well, that was no one's business but their own.

A week later Sky woke at his usual time, but he didn't get out of bed. He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, waiting for his limpet to wake up so he could go get coffee. An hour later he was pulled out of his light doze by Bridge turning onto his stomach and burying his head under his pillow. Sky smiled softly before slipping out of bed and bee-lining toward the kitchen. _Coffee, yes. _He pulled open the cupboards while his cup heated in the microwave, trying to decide what to eat for breakfast. He wouldn't have time to cook anything before the carpenter arrived, and he hadn't made it to the store so cold cereal would have to do. He pushed aside the Lucky Charms, and a few other sugary cereals that had taken up residence in his kitchen since Bridge moved back in, and finally found some regular Cheerios. He poured himself a bowl and leaned against the counter, estimating it would be another five minutes before Bridge shambled out of bed.

Four and a half minutes later, the younger boy stumbled into the kitchen. "What time's the carpenter supposed to be here?" he asked, giving Sky a kiss good morning before stealing his coffee. Sky poured himself another cup and stuck it in the microwave before answering.

"He said he'd be here between eight and nine. It'll be eight in half an hour." Bridge nodded, taking a sip of coffee. He made a gagging noise before pulling the milk out of the fridge and grabbing the sugar bowl.

"How do you even drink this stuff black?" Bridge griped, stirring in the sugar before pouring in the milk.

"Think about that next time before you go stealing another man's coffee," he teased, kissing the younger boy on the head. Bridge grumbled good naturedly.

"You sure you don't mind?" Bridge asked, referring to the contractor. Since Bridge had moved back in - and into Sky's bedroom, Sky had decided to convert the guest bedroom into a second office for the scientist.

"I'm _sure_, Bridge." Sky answered, rolling his eyes. "You're the only person who ever used that guest bedroom, and it makes no sense for you to have to go into the lab on your day off just to use the office." Any further argument on Bridge's part was cut off as his cell phone rang. Sky set his dishes in the sink and went to take a shower and dress. As he came out of the bedroom, Bridge was hanging up the phone.

"That was Lilith." he explained. "The cleaning service finally got to my apartment. It was all just smoke damage, but everything's cleared and aired out, so we can pick my stuff up." He took a sip of his coffee before adding, "She was trying to convince me to move back in."

"Uh, no." Sky stated. Bridge laughed as the doorbell rang and the older boy smiled as he went to answer the door. Yep, both of them were right where they needed to be.

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	3. Domesticity and Other Things

A/N: I lose so much of my life to Facebook. So here is the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Bridge was never a morning person, though he'd gotten better since he and Sky has started dating. Every morning, he'd get up and shamble to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. He'd pace the living room in a large oval (Sky had re-arranged his furniture accordingly after the younger boy had barked his shin on the coffee table AND gone ass over teakettle when he forgot where his chair was - in the same week, no less) or exit the house entirely and stand on the back patio, staring vacantly into space. After discovering that habit, Sky had actually gotten around to the gardening. He figured he could at least give Bridge an interesting landscape to stare vacantly at. But regardless of how Bridge woke up, when he and Sky began dating, his day inevitably began the same. Every morning, without fail, he caught his right hip on the dresser by the door.

The first time it happened, Sky had to bite his lip not to laugh at Bridge's look of utter confusion as he tried to figure out what he ran into. By the third day, Sky was annoyed. Bridge had a dark bruise spreading across his hip and all he had to do was take two steps to the left before trying to exit the room. It wasn't _that_ difficult and Sky refused to move the dresser on principle. A week later he was pretty sure he got a slipped disk moving the damn dresser two inches to the right.

All things considered, it took considerably less time for the former rangers to get used to living together than Sky expected. Bridge learned that early mornings weren't as horrible as he thought they were, especially with Sky there to share them with. And Sky accepted that soggy towels on his bathroom floor weren't the end of the world. It took a little under a month for things to become absolutely comfortable between them. It wasn't until Sky came home to Bridge arguing with his bank about a fraudulent charge on Sky's credit card that Sky realized how easily the two of them had slipped into domesticity. Sky hadn't even been aware that he and Bridge shared an account.

"We have a shared account?" he asked, loosening his tie.

"Yeah. You also have Triple A and health insurance. Surprise!" Bridge stated drily, hanging up the phone. Sky blinked, taking a minute to absorb all that information. That level of commitment - the bank account, the rearrangement of his furniture, the sugary cereal in his cupboards, the miraculously appearing coffee table - Sky should have been screaming and running for the hills. Instead, he shrugged off his jacket and asked Bridge what he ordered for dinner.

Somewhere between finding out he had health insurance and a not-quite legal chemistry set showing up in his kitchen, Sky found Bridge in his newly constructed office pouring over a mountain of paperwork.

"What's up?" he asked, offering the younger boy a spoon of fresh made ice cream.

"Taxes," Bridge stated, taking a bite without looking. "Fuck, that's really good." He dropped the packet of papers he had been looking at and grabbed the spoon from Sky's hand.

"Isn't it a bit early to be looking at taxes?" Bridge finished licking the spoon clean before replying.

"I wanted to get an idea of what I'd have to deal with next year. So...you don't do your own taxes?" he asked, following the blond to the rest of the creamy deliciousness.

"I really don't want to be bothered with the headache when I can pay someone else to do it," Sky stated, moving the pan of chocolate syrup off the heat.

"Well," Bridge began, dipping his finger into the chocolate before sticking it into his mouth. "If you could get down to three accounts - which includes closing that European account - I can do both our taxes."

"I have a European bank account?" Sky asked, handing a bowl of ice cream to Bridge. The younger boy just laughed.

* * *

Bridge took a bite of his pasta before returning to his prior occupation of pushing it around his plate. He heaved a sigh, not for the first time that night, and silently wished that Sky could have gotten out of working late tonight. Sky's voice spoke in his head, "The case was given to me by a managing partner, Bridge. I've got to nail this." So his stubborn lover was working late at the office to prepare for Monday's trial. As he had been every night for the past two months. And Bridge was out at a restaurant celebrating a co-worker's birthday and eating food which would have tasted a whole lot better if Sky had made it. Bridge would never admit it, but he was pining. Lilith nudged him, laughing at a joke Brian had told the group and Bridge forced a smile onto his face.

"Aw, come on, Bridge! Cheer up!" Lilith commanded, nudging the former ranger again. "What's the matter, roomie threatening to kick you out?" she teased. It was her standard tease whenever Bridge was down about something as she was still unaware of any changes between the two men. Normally the tease would amuse Bridge to no end, but tonight it did nothing but grate on his nerves. He was tired and irritable and he wanted to see his lover.

"Lilith..." he started, feeling his anger boiling. But he was cut off as his cell phone rang. "Hello?" he asked, irritation coloring his voice.

"Miss me?" The soft voice teased and Bridge could feel himself relaxing as the tension eased from his body.

"You have no idea," he muttered, continuing to push the pasta around on his plate.

"I'm heading home now and I want to talk to you about something important. Will you be home soon?"

"I'll leave now. Want me to get you something to go?"

"No, I'll get it. You'll probably beat me home anyway."

"Food's not particularly fabulous here anyway," Bridge whispered confidentially and beamed when he heard the tired laugh it had gotten him.

"I've spoiled you." Sky accused and Bridge murmured a 'yeah, well' instead of admitting the truth. The conversation lingered, neither wanting to hang up. "Look," Sky finally stated. "I'm coming up on the city, so I'm gonna hang up. But I'll see you soon, okay?" Bridge made a noise in his throat and they hung up. He signaled for his check and in doing so caught sight of Lilith's face. It was an excellent poker face and Bridge would have fallen for it if he couldn't see the obvious confusion on her aura. _Let her be confused_, he thought sourly. He still hadn't _quite_ forgiven her for the apartment incident and for always teasing him about imposing on Sky. He knew he _could_ just tell her the truth about him and Sky, but he liked the idea of sharing a secret with just his lover. So he left Lilith to her confusion and drove home to see said lover, but Sky was right and Bridge beat him there. So he contented himself with changing into his pajamas and raiding the fridge for something more delicious to eat than whatever the restaurant had decided to pass off as food. He dumped last night's risotto into a bowl and heated it, deciding to eat it standing at the counter. Leaving the dirty dishes on the counter, he meandered into the living room and flipped himself over to stand on his head.

Sky leaned against the door and heaved a deep sigh. A small smile managed to flicker across his face as he saw the younger boy standing on his head in the living room. He groaned as he pushed off the door, dragging himself and the bag of Chinese food into the kitchen. He gave a small puff of amusement as he saw the dirty dishes piled on the counter.

"I leave you alone for a little while and this is what I come home to. You clearly cannot live without me," he teased. "How was the party?" He dumped Bridge's dirty dishes into the sink and pulled out a plate and silverware for himself. "You want some of this?" Bridge let his legs fall, getting his feet underneath him before standing. Instead of answering, he walked into the kitchen and kissed the older boy. Sky sighed into the kiss and tugged the slighter boy to him. "I missed you," he confessed, nuzzling into Bridge's neck.

"Missed you, too. My hours are returning to normal next week, but you have _got_ to talk to your bosses. This is ridiculous." Bridge told him, tugging the exhausted lawyer into the living room and dumping him onto the couch.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been keeping in touch with the police captain. The _regular_ police captain," he explained, noting Bridge's alarmed look. "Trust me, I think we're _both_ too worn out to return to Space Patrol," he laughed. "Anyway, one of their guys is retiring, so..." he trailed off, taking a bite of his dinner.

"So you want to quit the law firm and join the police force," Bridge sighed, leaning his elbow against the coffee table. Sky shrugged.

"Better hours. _Regular_ hours, for the most part."

"More danger," Bridge countered.

"There's always danger."

"That doesn't mean you have to throw yourself in the way of it!"

"Bridge, when I left Space Patrol, I knew I wanted to stay on in the legal system. I thought being a lawyer would be great for me! But while I love that I can protect innocent people and put criminals in jail...it's not _me_. I need to be on the streets." Bridge bit his lip and looked down at the floor, his mind racing.

Sky would be taking a pay cut, obviously, but they really didn't need the money. After he finally got a handle on Sky's accounts he realized how _much_ they didn't need the money. The hours would be better, though Sky would be getting those annoying calls in the middle of the night. And even though he'd be throwing himself into danger, was it really any worse than taking on Gruum and his lackeys?

"When would you start training?"

"I wouldn't. I'd be right out on a beat. I'd have to retake the weapons course so they could issue me a gun, but Nick's already got me cleared to start as soon as I want." Seeing Bridge's look, he continued, "I was hoping, if you're okay with it, to tell them that I'm leaving the firm as soon as this case is over." Bridge sighed.

"Alright. I'm willing to give it a try if it's what you really want." Sky grinned, leaning forward and giving the younger boy a kiss.

"Have I ever told you -"

"That I'm the perfect boyfriend? Yes, but I'm not adverse to hearing it again." Bridge finished, grinning.

"You're the perfect boyfriend," Sky told him dutifully, dumping his dishes into the sink. "Look, I'm exhausted, I haven't seen you in what feels like forever...the dishes can be damned for all I care," he stated, pulling the unresisting former green ranger down the hall. He quickly changed into his pajamas and slid between the covers.

"And it's the weekend," Bridge reminded him, curling up next to him. Getting no response, he glanced up to find that Sky was already asleep. Bridge grinned to himself before squeezing himself closer to his boyfriend. Yep, he had missed this.

~Review~


	4. To Rule the World Before Tea Time

A/N: Finally got around to writing another chapter! This one just didn't want to get written... Anyway, the usual blahblahblah. Don't own, don't sue, don't ask, don't tell. Enjoy!

* * *

Every ranger knew that when they retired they weren't actually _retiring_. They were simply stating, 'Screw this, I'm too old to be kicking butts and taking names every damn day. You deal with it, call me if the world's about to explode.' So it came as no big surprise to either Sky or Bridge that they were called to deal with a possible threat to the city of NewTech. They wouldn't be fighting, but they would be advising.

"Come on, Bridge. Out of bed." Sky told him, pulling the covers back. The former green ranger groaned and buried his head underneath his pillow. "Come _on_, Bridge. We're going to be late!" The older man was rushing around their bedroom, shoving things half hazardously into his suitcase. He could feel that tingle of excitement in his stomach which always appeared before a battle. Bridge was not feeling the excitement. He sat up in bed and yawned before settling in and watching his boyfriend get ready. It never ceased to amaze him how Sky could just pop out of bed and be ready to save the world. When Bridge had first been enrolled in the academy he was convinced that Sky could single-handedly rule the world by tea time. Bridge wasn't entirely sure what hours constituted tea time but it was something his mother had always said and he liked the way the phrase sounded. Even now, when both of their bodies were too run down to fight as rangers, Bridge was still convinced that his lover could rule the world.

"Alright, I'm moving." He responded belatedly, reluctantly climbing out of bed. By the time Sky had finished packing his suitcase with his usual neatness Bridge had crammed his clothes into his own suitcase. The older man grabbed both suitcases and lugged them to his car while Bridge moved throughout the rooms and made sure all electrical items were shut off. He joined Sky by the front door and cast a final glance around the house, taking in the sight of Sky's rearranged living room (Bridge's shins thanked him for that), the clutter of scientific paperwork that the younger man hadn't had a chance to read, and the thin layer of dust that never would have appeared before Bridge had moved in. The former ranger sighed, sad to leave the only house he had ever considered a home.

"It will still be here when we get back," Sky stated, digging his keys out of his pocket before shutting and locking the door. Bridge grinned at Sky's use of 'we' and followed the blond to the car.

* * *

"You made it!" Syd cried happily, tackling both men as they climbed out of the car. Jack and Z trailed behind her and, Sky noted somewhat amusedly, that although they were all nearing their thirties none of them had really changed. They had aged, but they were still the same people they had been when they had retired from SPD.

"Good to see you, too, Syd." Bridge told her, voice muffled by the blonde woman's hair. The woman released them with a grin and Sky clasped Jack's hand in a friendly greeting while Bridge hugged Z.

"You look so much better," Z stated, pulling back from the hug but refusing to release him. She gazed at him intently, noting how relaxed and grounded the young man was. The last time she had seen the former ranger was after his retirement and although Bridge had landed a good job and a nice apartment, it was clear that he was suffering without the other rangers. So when Bridge had called and asked to stay at her house, Z had taken a chance and sent the jittery ranger to Sky. She smiled as she looked at her friend; it seemed like Bridge finally found some solid ground to stand on. "You look happy."

"I _am_ happy," he stated, his eyes flickering over to where Sky stood talking and laughing with Jack and Syd. As if sensing the younger man's gaze, Sky turned in their direction and smiled.

"I'm happy for you," Z stated, giving her friend another hug before they rejoined their group.

* * *

"We could not have _possibly_ been that dense!" Syd stated, draining her third - or was it fourth? - glass of alcohol. She banged her glass back down on the coffee table in front of her. "I mean…_seriously_!" She stated, as if that made her entire argument, except her tongue slurred the last word. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I assure you we were," Sky stated, taking another pull of his beer. He and Z were the least tipsy of their group, still sipping away at their first drinks. Sky had cut Bridge off after his second beer - the younger man was sprawled out across the couch with his upper body pasted to Sky's side - but Syd and Jack were well on their way to being wasted. "Don't you remember our first battle?" he asked and Bridge snickered. Syd cringed.

It was a Friday night and the new SPD team had successfully completed their mission - thanks mostly attributable to a good deal of (mostly) patient tutelage from their predecessors. Though the team had returned to the base, the five former rangers remained in the rented house which had served as a temporary base. Tonight they were celebrating their shared victory and tomorrow they would have a final conference to brief the new Commander of SPD on their mission. Sunday they would part ways once again and return to their individual lives, so they decided to talk while they could – even though Bridge was merely listening and two of the remaining four were drunk.

"So Bridge is still crashing at your house?" Syd asked, her voice just a little too loud, but that was the alcohol taking effect. "How come?" Sky responded without even thinking about it.

"Because we don't need another apartment fire." The blonde woman gave him a funny look but was too drunk to perform her usual third degree line of questioning.

"She's too think to drunk!" Jack stated, laughing. "Whoops...no wait, the other thing." The laughter died down and Sky settled himself back onto the couch. Bridge sighed and curled himself more tightly against the older man's body.

"You guys are together!" The phrase hung in the air. Sky turned and faced the former pink ranger.

"How - ?" he began, but Syd cut him off.

"Oh my god! I am sooo sorry, I have no idea where that came from!" she rambled. Her hands came up and covered her mouth. Jack looked from Sky and Bridge to Syd and back again, his brain struggling against the alcohol. Z, who had been sitting quietly on the floor with her back leaning against the couch, said nothing and Bridge remained impassive. He had nothing against telling their friends but he felt Sky's body tighten imperceptibly when Syd had shouted her deduction. But then...Bridge thought it was the most beautiful thing, the way Sky realized that there was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. He relaxed into the cushions of the couch and a self-satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"It's fine, Syd. You're right. We are together."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jack demanded. Sky shrugged.

"It's not like we were trying to keep it secret. I guess we both just felt like we didn't need to state it to the world," Bridge stated, sitting up and stretching his back. "Now you know. And I think it's time for all of us to go to bed. We've got a meeting tomorrow and you two," he motioned to Syd and Jack, "are going to have killer headaches." The group broke up and it took both Sky and Bridge to get Jack back to his room. As they struggled with their former leader, Z managed to drag Syd back to the room they shared. "Are you sorry they found out?" Bridge asked softly after the two of them had returned to their own room. Sky set his book down before turning onto his side and tugging the younger man closer to him.

"Bridge, I'm _glad_ they know. Just because I don't hug you in public or anything like that doesn't mean I love you less. I've _never_ been demonstrative in public. And it's like you said earlier. I'm not trying to keep it secret. I just don't feel the need to tell everyone. Besides," Sky stated, grinning, "they're the only ones I would be telling." Bridge chuckled and both men went to sleep.

* * *

Saturday passed away too quickly for all five of the former rangers but Sky was up early on Sunday irregardless. Tomorrow he would be starting at the police department and he needed to get his schedule turned around. Not knowing when the others would be waking up – but knowing that Bridge would be up shortly just because Sky was out of bed – the former blue ranger made a fresh pot of coffee and set about making doughnuts. He was frying the last batch when a sleep-tousled scientist emerged from the bedroom. Bridge immediately honed in on the coffee, pouring himself a large mug before collapsing into a chair at the table. Sky ignored him for the time being, dividing the doughnuts into five equal piles. When he turned around the younger man was staring at his cup like it was resisting torture but would eventually be made to talk.

"Breakfast?" Sky asked, grabbing his own coffee cup and their plate of doughnuts. Bridge trailed after him into the living room. The blond settled into the couch, grabbing the cross-word puzzle from the morning paper before handing the rest of it over to Bridge, who had settled himself lengthwise across the sofa, his legs resting on Sky's lap. A peaceful silence pervaded as the younger man began reading while Sky clicked open a pen and set in to finish the daily cross-word puzzle.

"Adorable," Syd stated, leaning against the hallway wall. Sky made a face of disgust at being called 'adorable'.

"Did your hang-over finally clear up?" he asked in retaliation. It was Syd's turn to make a face. Though Jack had drunken several glasses of water and taken pain killers as a preemptive measure to fight his hang-over, Syd had done no such thing and she had been utterly _miserable_ all of yesterday. The other rangers – in true team spirit – had teased her about it mercilessly.

"You're a bastard," she said amiably as she headed to the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't know," Bridge stated, smiling at his boyfriend over the newspaper. "I'm rather fond of him."

"You would be," Syd stated as she helped herself to coffee and doughnuts. "But we can't _all_ be in love with Sky." Bridge's eyes raked Sky's body, taking in the tense jaw and the way his eyes were firmly focused on the paper. To anyone else it would appear that the older man would be intensely focused on his cross-word. To Bridge, Sky was tensely waiting to hear how he would respond to Syd's little quip.

"That's a shame," Bridge stated, flicking his paper back open.

"Why's that?" Sky asked, filling in another answer.

"Think of everything you could accomplish if the entire world was in love with you," Bridge stated. Remembering Sky's love of specificity, he added, "instead of just me." A shy smile spread across the blond man's features.

"I could rule the world before tea time," Sky stated, taking a sip of his coffee.

~Review~


	5. In Which Sky Takes A Dip

A/N: Here's the next chapter, freshly arrived from Heaven's Archer. Give her a round of applause for keeping up with me folks. Trust me, I haven't made it easy on her the last two weeks. I hit her with three chapters back to back to back. And she didn't murder me! Send her some love, readers.

* * *

Sky was tired and sore and thought it a little ridiculous that he was still in the office when most normal people would have been home hours ago. But his gut was telling him that something was wrong so he kept flipping through the reports, trying to locate any discrepancies that might appear. He hadn't risen to the rank of detective so quickly by ignoring the instincts he had picked up as a ranger. He finished flipping through the rest of the report before sighing in irritation. Nothing - at least nothing he was seeing at the moment. He flicked his office light off and let his mind wander away from murders and onto happier thoughts - namely what on earth he was going to get Bridge for his birthday next week. The thought of celebrating anything with anyone would normally make the man run for the hills in abject terror but Bridge just made things seem so _natural_. _A little too natural_, he mused, unlocking the door and taking in the disarray.

Sky had been logging a lot of overtime since a serial killer had popped up and while he managed to keep work separate from home (something Bridge was eternally grateful for - watching his significant other browse through photos of mutilated corpses over dinner? No, _thank-you_.) the housework had suffered. The dirty dishes were taking over the sink and Sky was pretty sure he was going to have to chuck that frying pan. He was also immensely glad that neither he nor Bridge had asthma because a fine layer of dust had collected along with an army or dust bunnies intent on launching a massive attack to take over the house. Bridge' chemistry set was pulled out on the kitchen table, one of the flasks leaking onto the hardwood and the blond knew there would probably be stainage. He let his eyes rove over to the living room where he quickly became convinced that a tree had thrown up because there were piles of paper _everywhere_. Sky sighed in happiness; it was good to be home. Shrugging off his jacket he decided to tackle the mess but before he could move from the doorway a thin pair of arms snaked their way around him.

"I'm hungry. Feed me." Bridge stated, his voice muffled by the older man's back. Sky snorted in amusement.

"Why don't you find the kitchen first?"

"S'over there," he responded cheekily, right arm moving from Sky's waist to wave in the general direction of the kitchen. Sky rolled his eyes before tugging the scientist out of the doorway.

"C'mon," Sky stated, rolling up his shirt sleeves before starting to wash the dishes. It probably would have been easier to load them into the dishwasher but they needed clean dishes to cook and eat with that night. "So how's work going at the lab?" he asked, handing the wet dishes to the younger man to dry.

"One problem after another," Bridge answered while rolling his eyes. "I'm convinced that sooner or later one of them is going to blow the lab up."

"Sounds like extreme fun but please ask them to wait until you're out of the lab before they blow it up," Sky requested, pulling the fridge open and searching for the required ingredients.

"What are we having?" Bridge inquired, standing on tip-toe and trying to peer over the taller man's shoulder.

"God, you're like a puppy or something!" Sky laughed, shooing the younger man from the kitchen. "Beef stroganoff," he answered and he could feel the tension draining from his body; he could feel the bitter taste of failure and disappointment - why was this asshole so difficult to find? - fade away as Bridge smiled at him. "So what do you want to do for your birthday?" he asked, easily navigating his way around the kitchen. "Aside from being blown up in the lab…as pleasant as that sounds." Bridge snickered as he packed up the papers in the living room.

"I don't know," he answered honestly as he shoved his paperwork into his bag. "I don't really feel like having a big party. Maybe we could just go to a live music club? Trek is supposed to have a really good band and it won't be as crowded as an actual club." Sky nodded as he made two plates, taking them into the living room - he had given the table up as a lost cause. It would have to be replaced as soon as he and Bridge could get a full day off together. The thought caused him to pause and he looked up from his plate. There was a coffee table that had simply _appeared_ one day, there were scientific journals on things Sky couldn't even pronounce sitting on his bookshelf, there was a wet towel on his bathroom floor and a week's worth of laundry sitting in the bedroom because Sky hadn't had a chance to wash it and the last time Bridge had tried he had added too much soap and flooded the laundry room. And they were going to buy a kitchen table…together. Even if they were never going to verbally address it, Bridge was _living_ with him. "You okay?" Bridge asked, noticing the vacant stare on the older man's face.

"Never better," Sky stated, settling back onto the couch and smiling.

* * *

The weekend was not going as planned. Saturday found Bridge being dragged into the lab to fix a series of tests that one of the interns managed to completely mangle and Sky wondered how much trouble he would get into for shooting the idiot with his police issued gun. The thought had barely popped into his head before Bridge had paused in his dressing, climbed back into bed, kissed the older man senseless and told him that he was forbidden from plotting any murders without running them past Bridge first. When Sky had asked why, Bridge had informed the blond that he wanted to ensure that they could definitely pull off the murders without getting caught. Sky had laughed until he was breathless and when Bridge set off for the lab Sky had happily set off on the task of cleaning the house and hoping that Sunday would be more amenable to Bridge's birthday plans. But it was barely six a.m. and the former blue ranger's cell phone was ringing. Sky groaned unhappily but answered before the ringing could wake Bridge.

"Hello?"

"Your serial killer again." Nick stated by way of greeting. "Two bodies splattered." Sky got the address before leaving a note of explanation for his sleeping boyfriend - _The criminal masses have declared war on music clubs and birthday celebrations. Reschedule for next weekend? _- before heading out.

Nick had not been exaggerating. When Sky pulled up to the address a seasoned officer was throwing up his breakfast on the sidewalk and any hope Sky had of a simple copycat murder flew out the door. He steeled his nerves before entering the house and he still needed to swallow down the bile. Blood was _everywhere_ and the only parts of the bodies to have escaped the savage beating are the victims' heads. Sky takes a calming breath and throws himself into the fray.

Six hours later and Sky felt like jazz dancing across the department. After working for months on this case and hitting dead end after dead end while the body count continued to rise, the killer had finally made a mistake. The lab was able to find traces of sediment from NewTech's warehouse district and Sky grabbed his partner and back-up before setting off.

* * *

The squad moved forward and Sky ducked as a bullet went whizzing by his head. It isn't the first time he's grateful for his bulletproof vest. A loud explosion followed by shouting drew the blond's attention and he turned in time to see the squad care he'd previously been crouched behind go up in flames.

"Look out!" Nick shouted, motioning the officers away from the burning vehicle but as Sky watched the flames lick their way toward the gas tank he knew they wouldn't get far enough away from the vehicle to be safe. He threw up his force field an instant before the car exploded. The shock waves rippled along the dock and it was only as Sky struggled to keep his balance that he realized how close he was to the water's edge. He at least had the gratification of seeing Nick tackle the perp before falling into the NewTech River.

He broke the surface of the water coughing and spluttering. He grimaced as he spate water out of his mouth - he'd willingly put a lot of gross things into his mouth over the years but the NewTech River had never been on that list. He was hauled out of the water and a paramedic from the newly arrived ambulance tried to check him out. She finally settled for wrapping a shock blanket around him when Sky kept fighting her off.

"What's going on?" Sky shouted when he saw a free officer.

"Captain was a little overzealous when making the arrest. Got to take the bastard to the hospital."

"Get back to work!" Nick shouted, chasing the officer away from a shivering Sky. "Good thinking with the force field; saved us a lot of injuries. Go home and get warm, you can finish your report tomorrow." Sky nodded and hitched a ride back to headquarters. He took a hot shower before changing into the spare set of clothes he kept there. By the time he finished his phone had dried out and was showing a missed call from Bridge telling him to be safe and not to come home with any sort of puncture wound or missing appendages. Sky was ever grateful that his cell phone was waterproof to a depth of fuck-it-you're-going-to-drown-anyway. He grabbed his wet clothes and headed home.

"You look terrible," Bridge greeted, pulling the older man into the house before dragging him back to their bedroom. "Come on, under the covers with you. You want something warm to eat or drink?" he asked, tucking the covers tightly around Sky's shivering body. The blond shook his head 'no'. Although it was only two in the afternoon all Sky wanted to do was sleep. Bridge stepped back from the bed and watched as his lover fell into a restless sleep, a slight frown marring his features.

* * *

When Sky woke Monday morning his shivering had abated but he decided that he would have a talk with Bridge about beating him in his sleep because everything hurt. He dragged himself out of bed anyway - he needed to hand in his report and they were interviewing their killer today. He dressed slowly feeling like the slightest motion taxed his energy and decided to forego breakfast. He wasn't sure his stomach could handle it.

He was greeted at the office with cheers, though the back-slapping was cut short when it brought about a coughing fit. Sky grimaced as he spit mucus into a wad of tissues. He was going to _kill_ his suspect if this turned into an upper respiratory infection.

By the end of the day Sky was all but ready to collapse into bed and sleep for a week. The interrogation at the hospital had been a total bust. The only question the suspect answered was his name - Ian Moone - and after spending hours searching for any record of such a person Sky had finally figured out that Ian Moone was an acronym for I AM NO ONE. Any other forms of identification - fingerprints, footprints and teeth impressions - had all been destroyed by Ian. There was nothing to do but wait for the DNA to process and hope Ian was already in the system. Running his hands through his hair in irritation Sky powered down his computer and headed home.

Things came to a head on Thursday night. Sky had been savagely dicing vegetables to help release his pent up irritation - he was still no further with Ian Moone - when he suddenly stopped. He turned, knife still clasped in his head and a frown marring his face, to look at Bridge. The younger man was curled in his chair working over equations.

"Did you turn the air on?" he asked.

"No, it's sixty degrees outside. Do you think we need it on?" Bridge asked, setting his papers down and moving toward the control panel.

"No, I just wondered. Maybe a window was left open," he stated, turning to finish chopping the vegetables before slicing the meat for a stir-fry. Bridge's eyes narrowed as he watched the older man prepare dinner. Sky's body moved slowly, as if his body was weighed down by the world. But it was the way his body shook with suppressed coughs that gave Bridge an idea of what was going on.

"You're an idiot," Bridge sighed fondly before dragging the sick man into the living room and shoving him down onto the couch. "Stay there," Bridge ordered before disappearing down the hallway.

"Bridge, I'm in the middle of cooking dinner!" Sky shouted irritably.

"Stick this under your tongue and shut up. I'll order pizza."

"When did we get a thermometer?" Sky asked before sticking it in his mouth.

"The same time we got all the other medical supplies," Bridge told him as he cleaned up the dinner preparations. "Thermometer," he ordered, re-entering the living room and approached the couch.

"Bridge, I'm fine. Honestly. I'm just tired." Sky argued but handed over the thermometer.

"102.5 does not constitute 'fine', Sky," Bridge informed him as he glared down at the tiny device in his hand. "You are staying put, underneath covers and you are not going to work until this fever breaks. I'll call Nick tomorrow to let him know," Bridge ordered, already trying to figure out who he could manipulate to cover him at the lab. Sky opened his mouth, ready to snap at Bridge and declare that he was perfectly capable of working tomorrow when he found himself underneath a heavy comforter. "Sleep." Bridge ordered. "I'll wake you when the pizza gets here."

Sky didn't remember Bridge waking him after that. In fact, he wasn't even sure how he got to bed last night but he woke up sprawled across the bed with a worried boyfriend hovering over him.

"You're worse. You slept twelve hours and you're _worse_. How is that even possible?" Sky snorted thought it hurt his sinuses.

"It happens, Bridge. I'll get over it." He glanced at the clock. "You're going to be late for work."

"I've got my cell and I'll be back to check on you at lunch. Remember to drink lots of fluids and don't eat anything that'll sit in your stomach for long."

"Bridge," Sky rasped, dragging his eyes back open to look at his boyfriend. "I'll be fine. M'just gonna sleep a little longer," he sighed as his eyes slid shut again.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Bridge assured, leaning down and placing a parting kiss to the older man's forehead. "See you later."

* * *

To say that Bridge was a mess at work would be putting it lightly. Having been unable to find someone to take his shift he reluctantly entered the lab Friday morning but his mind was not on his work. He checked his phone every five minutes. He forgot the steps to procedures he performed every day. He set samples and petri dishes down before walking off and forgetting where he left them. The interns began to fondly call him the absent-minded professor but his colleagues were worried.

At lunch time, Lilith had been elected to go and find out what was going on with the resident genius and she found him in his office speaking quietly and quickly into the phone.

"Yes, I realize that it's a cold and not the plague but I still wanted to know that you were okay... Yes I know you said you were just going to sleep all day but I wanted to make sure you didn't blow up the house trying to cook or crack your skull open because you passed out while walking through the living room... Oh, ha, ha. Yes, I _am_ aware that I'm the one with the history of lighting things on fire... Are you sure? I don't mind running home over lunch... Alright, I'll see you when I get home... No, I'll pick something up for both of us... Love you, too. Yeah, bye." Lilith watched as the man hung up the phone, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips.

"I think you should take off." She stated as she casually leaned against the door jam. She grinned evilly when she saw him jump.

"Lilith...you heard all that?" Bridge asked nervously. Lilith's grin widened. The scientist groaned and she laughed in amusement.

"So, you're NOT a house-guest; you're his _boyfriend_. That explains so much. Why didn't you just tell me?" she demanded, frowning.

"Don't be mad," he pleaded. "We haven't told _anyone_. The only other ones who know are our old squad mates and that's only because Syd figured it out herself."

"Alright, alright, I can keep a secret," Lilith placated. "But seriously, Bridge, you're more a hazard than a help today. You keep saying the interns are going to blow up the lab but if you keep at it, you're going to be the first to accomplish it."

"Been that bad today, huh?" Bridge asked, wincing.

"You've been fondly dubbed the absent-minded professor," she answered, a wry grin twisting her lips. Bridge barked out a laugh before standing and grabbing his jacket.

"Alright, I can take a hint. You're in charge. Keep the lab in one piece until I get back, okay?" Lilith waved his concerns away and walked off laughing after watching Bridge bound out of the lab.

* * *

Sky woke slowly and tried to figure out what it was that had woken him up. He gave up on trying to open his eyes – they felt like lead and resolutely remained closed despite Sky's best efforts. He chose, instead, to listen. The rustling of papers alerted the convalescing man to a presence to his right.

"Bridge?" he asked, voice thick with sleep and his mouth unbelievably dry.

"Nope, it's your friendly neighborhood burglar," Bridge responded, setting down his report on chytrid.

"Mm, that's too bad," Sky stated, turning and curling around the warm body. "You'll have to get out before my boyfriend gets home."

"I'll be sure to do that," Bridge promised. "Your fever broke." he informed the sick man.

"Good, you can stop worrying about me, then." Sky yawned.

"I wasn't worrying!" Bridge protested.

"Right. That's why you kept waking me up to check on me." Sky stated drily.

"I did NOT call -"

"Shh," Sky interrupted. "I'm convalescing here." Bridge snorted.

"Oh, you just wait til I get sick. I am going to make your life a living _hell_." Bridge muttered darkly. Sky didn't answer but the next time Bridge glanced down at the older man, he was asleep with a smile on his face.

~Review~


	6. In Which Bridge Explodes

A/N: And here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Sky woke up slowly, content to revel in the warm cocoon of his bed. He sighed as Bridge shifted closer to him and wished - not for the first time - that they didn't have to get up. But the alarm rang and as Bridge woke and blearily opened his eyes Sky reluctantly pulled away.

"Morning," he greeted softly, giving the younger man a soft kiss before climbing out of bed. Bridge hummed in response before flopping back to a prone position. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" Sky pressed on, completely unfazed by Bridge's lack of response. The scientist groaned before answering.

"I'll pick something up on my way home. I have to stay late at the lab because Dylan's doing a trial run of his latest experiment," he sighed.

"Isn't he the intern who set himself on fire?" The blond questioned, buttoning his shirt.

"Yes," Bridge sighed. "He's a walking disaster. A _brilliant_ disaster but a disaster nonetheless."

"Hey," Sky stated, grabbing Bridge's hand. "Be careful, okay?" he asked seriously. Bridge smiled up at his worried lover.

"You, too. I'll call you later about dinner, okay?" he asked. Sky nodded before heading out to grab breakfast and heading to work.

* * *

Sky was pouring over every single shred of evidence the police had managed to dig up on the Ian Moone case. For all their effort they had yet to find Ian's real name, age, or where he had come from. Still, with persistent hard work they had managed to link him to twelve unsolved cases in NewTech alone and they were spreading their search to the surrounding areas. The next time Ian would be outside a prison would be to attend his funeral. Sky rubbed blearily at his eyes and took a fortifying sip of coffee. Psychopaths generated so much paperwork. He was just going over Ian Moone's interview for the hundredth time when his cell phone rang.

"Tate," he answered, not bothering to look at the screen.

"Sky?" a female voice questioned hesitantly.

"Yes…" he answered hesitantly. He didn't recognize the voice.

"Oh, Sky!" The woman cut off as she began sobbing. "Sky, it's Bridge!" She continued after getting herself under control and Sky felt his blood run cold.

"Bridge? What's wrong with Bridge? Where is he?" he demanded, pushing back from his desk. He grabbed his gun, badge and jacket as he rushed out the door. The woman on the other end of the phone sobbed harder for a moment before breathing deeply and answering.

"NewTech Hospital."

Sky broke every single speed limit to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. The wheels squealed as he cornered the car and the smell of burnt rubber followed him. Reaching the hospital parking lot he took the first spot he saw, barely remembering to turn the car off before sprinting for the building.

"Bridge Carson?" he gasped as he slammed into the visitors' desk.

"Fourth floor, room 412," the girl directed him and Sky was off before she could even ask if he was family. The wait for the elevator and the ride itself seemed unbearable - purposely designed to keep Sky from Bridge for as long as possible. As the elevator doors slid open to the fourth floor the blond barreled out - and ran into a slim woman who had been pacing in front of the elevator.

"Sorry," he apologize, stopping to assist her. He was, after all, a gentleman.

"Sky?" She asked, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up. Sky paused, cocking his head to the right as he examined her. She was of medium build, with an oval face with dark brown eyes and long black hair.

"You're the one who called me," he stated, still holding her hand.

"Lilith," she stated, shaking his hand.

"How is he?" Sky asked, dropping her hand and moving to go around her.

"Sky," she began, placing a restraining hand on his arm. The former ranger halted as a sinking feeling began in his gut. "He's comatose and on life-support." She let that information sink in before continuing. "His parents are here." Sky's head whipped around at that.

"What are they doing here?" he growled. "They haven't had anything to do with him since Cruger brought him to the academy." Lilith shook her head in an I-don't-know gesture.

"They want to pull the plug," she whispered. Understanding dawned on Sky's face.

"They want his inheritance," he growled. "Good think they're not his medical attorneys anymore," he stated, marching toward Bridge's room. One of the first things he had done when he and Bridge had first gotten together was to change all their legal paperwork. Relief flooded Lilith's face before she trailed after the older man.

"What do you mean we're not authorized to pull him off life support?" A tall man thundered. "We're his parents!"

"That may be, Mr. Carson, but you aren't listed as his health care agent," Dr. Manx told him. Sky was glad the hospital had called her - she was the only doctor Bridge trusted. Her eyes flickered over to the former ranger and the scientist as Sky and Lilith approached.

"And who does?" Mr. Carson inquired petulantly.

"I am," Sky stated, his tone inviting the man to try and bully him. Mr. Carson glared but backed down. "Kat, what's going on?" he asked, turning to the doctor.

"When the lab exploded, Bridge was thrown across the room and hit the mass spectrometer. It caused his brain to swell which in turn pushed the fluid against the skull. If the swelling doesn't go down, his brain might push down on the brain stem and damage the reticular activating system," she finished.

"The what?" Sky asked, confused.

"It's the part of the brain responsible for arousal and awareness," Kat explained.

"He'd be brain damaged?" Sky asked softly, leaning against the hallway wall for support. Kat nodded but stayed quiet to give Sky time to absorb the news. The cop felt like he had just gone five rounds with Gruum. Bridge had been perfectly fine that morning and now in a span of hours he was lying on a hospital bed with the possibility of never waking up or waking up with brain damage.

"So just put him out of his misery and pull the damn plug," Mr. Carson ordered. Sky grit his teeth in annoyance before pushing off the wall and standing in front of the infuriating man. He wasn't much taller but his shoulders were wider and he was in much better shape.

"Look," Sky hissed. "I know all about how much of a _freak_ you think your son is. I also know about how you mismanaged your wife's money and how you were counting on your mother-in-law to leave you an inheritance to pay off the debt." Mrs. Carson shifted slightly and Mr. Carson looked apoplectic but Sky continued. "I also know she figured out your game and left the money to Bridge and that you've been hounding him and treating him like _shit_ since he refused to sign the money over to you. And quite frankly, it's sickening to see you hanging around his bedside like vultures with dollar signs in your eyes so I'll tell you two things right now. First, as his health care agent I am banning you from visiting him in the hospital and second _if_ he dies, you no longer inherit anything."

"You can't do that! He's our son!" Mrs. Carson exclaimed at the same time her husband's face contorted in rage.

"Actually, as Bridge's health care agent he can." Dr. Manx interjected. "And I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now." Mr. Carson stomped down the hallway muttering under his breath but his wife paused, turning to look through the window into her son's room. Tears welled in her eyes and she quickly turned away and followed her husband. Sky felt sorry for the woman - she clearly cared about her son but was too afraid of her husband to do anything. After a moment of silence Sky turned to Kat.

"What are his chances?"

"Right now? Not good. He's on life support because his body won't breath on its own. If we can get him off life support than he'll have a fighting chance. But the longer he's in a coma, the more likely it is he'll have lasting brain damage."

"What can I do?" he asked, hating the feeling of helplessness that was settling over him. Kat smiled softly at him.

"Sit with him. Talk to him and let him hear your voice. But right now, go home and get a good night's rest. Come back tomorrow."

"Kat…" he began but she cut him off, laying a hand gently on his arm.

"You'll be more comfortable in civilian clothes and you'll be able to let your boss know what happened and get some time off work. Call the others if you want. Get some books and other things together to occupy your time. My point, Sky, is that you need to be ready to wait when you stay here - and right now you're not," she finished. Sky sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. He knew Kat was right but he didn't want to leave Bridge. Lilith seemed to pick up on his struggle.

"I'll stay with him tonight and whenever you need a break, okay? Just worry about getting yourself ready tonight," she ordered and Sky shot her a small grateful smile before slipping into the room and pressing a soft kiss to Bridge's forehead.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered before trudging to the elevator. He was glad to see Bridge's parents had already left. As the elevator doors slid shut, he let the first tears since childhood fall.

~Review~


	7. He's Not Yours Anymore

A/N: So here's part 2! This part of the story line should all be wrapped up with the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Sky entered the house and looked around at the darkened mess before flipping the light switch. He looked around again and for a brief moment he could almost believe that this nightmare had never happened. But it did and the house suddenly took on an oppressively empty feeling. Without Bridge there - and knowing that he wasn't coming back anytime soon - had sucked all the homey feelings out of the house. Sky straightened himself up and trudged to the phone. He called Nick first - more out of a sense of obligation to his boss than anything else. The call left him with a sore jaw from gritting his teeth. He knew Nick meant well but the condolences left the former ranger feeling raw. But he _was_ thankful to his boss for pulling him from active duty and putting him on cold cases for as long as he needed. He rubbed his face tiredly before picking up the phone again.

"Hey Sky. How's it going?" Jack greeted casually and Sky was immediately glad he had called Jack first. "Sky?" Jack asked again and the blond realized belatedly he hadn't said anything.

"Jack, it's Bridge. He's…there was an explosion at the lab. He's in a coma." Sky stated, glad to hear his voice staying relatively steady.

"Oh my God! Are you -" Sky steeled himself for the condolences and the questions about how he himself was doing but Jack cut himself off. The former ranger was immediately glad he had called Jack before Z or Syd. "I'll call the others," Jack stated. "Z's the closest to you so we'll stay at her place. You just worry about yourself and Bridge." Jack continued and it was almost as if they were still rangers - Jack giving orders and the rest of them just falling in line. To Sky, it was a huge relief to have someone else he could count on and he almost felt like crying again.

"Jack…thanks," he breathed out.

"You'd do the same." Jack responded with assurance before ringing off. Sky took a moment to collect himself before he began to pack a bag for the hospital. He grabbed Bridge's favorite science journals and books that he hadn't gotten around to reading yet, along with some of his own books. He grabbed some cds that they hadn't gotten a chance to listen to and some of their favorite dvds. When he finally had those packed up he hazarded a step into the bedroom. It wasn't the punch in the gut Sky had been expecting and he thought he might finally be going into shock. He threw a few changes of clothes half hazardously into a duffel before changing out of his uniform and collapsing onto the bed into a fitful slumber.

He woke early the next morning and although he felt like he hadn't rested at all he forced himself to get out of bed, shower, shave and choke down a small breakfast. Once these tasks had been accomplished he packed up his bathroom supplies and loaded the car. He didn't worry about stopping at the station; Nick would be meeting him at the hospital with a stack of cold cases later.

The clock had just ticked over to seven o'clock when Sky entered Bridge's hospital room. The only noise came from the heart monitor and the sound of the machine forcing Bridge's lungs to inhale and exhale. Lilith was passed out on the room's couch and Sky could tell from the dark circles under her eyes that she must have fallen asleep only recently. He set down the coffee and sandwich he had gotten for her on the table by the couch before setting his down on the nightstand by Bridge's bed. He quietly moved a chair to the side of the bed before sitting and wrapping his fingers around a thin wrist. He fell asleep counting Bridge's pulse.

The sound of the door shutting quietly jerked Sky awake and Lilith smiled sheepishly at him as the detective massaged the crick out of his neck.

"Sorry to wake you. I heated our coffees up," she stated softly, handing over the Styrofoam cup. "I hope I heated it long enough." Sky took his with a grateful smile before taking a long pull from it.

"Tastes fine," he stated softly before he realized that both he and Lilith were talking softly in order not to wake Bridge up. A broken laugh escaped his mouth before he could stop it and he blinked back the tears. "I never asked you how the others were doing," he stated, using his normal volume.

"Dylan had a couple of third degree burns but everyone else made it out with singed hair and coughing fits from the smoke. But that's only because Bridge pushed everyone else out of the way once he realized the machine was unstable," she smiled wryly. "Once a ranger, always a ranger, right?" Sky shrugged one shoulder in response. Before he could respond a knock came at the door and Nick poked his head into the room. "I'll leave you alone," Lilith stated, taking her cue. "I have to get back and see how bad the lab was damaged. Thanks for breakfast." She paused on her way out and squeezed his shoulder. "Let me know if you need me to give you a night off," she stated and disappeared out the door. Nick shut the door after her.

"So…" Nick began, flopping down onto the couch. "It would have been nice to know you were seeing someone before I got a call that he was in the hospital." He tossed the cold case files onto the cushion next to him and pinned Sky with a stare.

"We weren't keeping it a secret, Nick. We just…never felt the need to talk about it. And no one at work ever asked," Sky answered, his eyes staying trained on Bridge's face.

"I'm asking now."

"We were rangers together," Sky started. "Same squad, roommates. Nothing happened then, if that's what you're wondering." He smiled at Nick's shocked expression. "When we retired I wasn't expecting to see him again," he continued. "But the lab he worked for kept sending him into NewTech and he'd need a place to stay occasionally. When they finally reassigned him it was just easier to let him stay at my house than to find an apartment. And…well, we've been together for almost a year now." After a moment of silence Sky stated. "If it's going to be a problem I'll hand in my resignation."

"Like hell you are," Nick stated, dragging a hand over his face before sighing. "That's not the problem, Sky. The problem is that you're obviously not going to be moving from this room unless you have to, which means I have to figure out how to follow up any leads you discover on these cold cases."

"I'll just call Rodriguez," Sky stated, naming his partner. "Unless we have a rookie I don't know about, he's not going to be able to do much with me out on leave." Nick nodded his agreement before standing and patting Sky on the back before leaving the room. Left alone with an unconscious man, Sky grabbed one of Bridge's science journals and began reading it out loud.

The next week was a constant circle of: reading out loud to Bridge until he lost his voice at which point he'd put on a cd as he worked on cold case files. When his eyes finally began to blur he'd set the cases aside and shut off the music before sticking in a movie. Sometimes he would just sit and talk softly under his breath to the unconscious scientist. Z and Syd came in and out throughout the days, bringing him food and drink but they never suggested that Sky go home. They knew it was an argument already lost. Jack spent most of his time running back and forth between Sky and the doctors, trying to see if there was anything they might have missed to raise Bridge's chances of pulling through the coma. Even Lilith slipped in at least once a day and exercised Bridge's limbs before rearranging his position on the bed. Bed sores, she had explained when she caught Sky staring. Sky had cursed his stupidity for not thinking of that himself and usually followed her lead by exercising Bridge's limbs once a day on his own. As it was, by the end of the week Sky was exhausted from barely sleeping and worrying over Bridge when his cell rang.

"Tate," he answered, not looking at the screen.

"Tell me you haven't forgotten your old boss already?" a voice boomed and Sky smiled in spite of himself.

"No, sir, I haven't. What can I help you with?" he asked.

"Well, this isn't a business call, per se. I received a call this afternoon from Larry in our estate planning department. It seems he received a rather volatile call from a Mr. Carson about the documents you drafted." After a pause he continued. "I guess I just wanted to give you a heads up that they were sniffing around." Sky sighed heavily as he leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes.

"Thank you, sir." Sky stated before hanging up. Instinctively he circled Bridge's thin wrist and he let the steady pulse calm him down. He would worry about Bridge's parents tomorrow.

* * *

By the end of the second week and with no changes in Bridge, Sky was ready to admit that he was in need of a break. He was in the middle of reading one of Bridge's biology books out loud when Lilith knocked lightly and entered with her overnight bag.

"Hey," Sky greeted, voice raspy from reading out loud for so long. "Thanks again for staying with him tonight." Lilith rolled her eyes.

"I already told you I'd stay with him," she stated, tossing her bag on the couch. "How's he doing?" Sky shrugged - his way of saying 'same old'. "How are the cold cases?"

"Rodriguez is following up a lead on one of them. I'm still struggling with the rest of them," he answered. Lilith nodded but dropped the subject. She was one of the few people who didn't ask how he was every time she saw him and he was grateful for it. Instead, she pretended to be busy setting up for the night while Sky said good-night to Bridge - explaining that he was just leaving to do laundry and that he'd be back in the morning before pressing a kiss to the younger man's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." Sky stated and Lilith waved as he left.

For Sky, it was utterly dismal to be going home without Bridge but he'd be no use to his lover if he could barely function himself. So with a heavy heart he drove himself back to the house and shoved his clothes into the washer. He shoved fresh clothes into his duffel bag before stumbling to the fridge to find something to eat. He blinked at the neatly organized food containers - each containing a pre-made meal and marked with the day it was prepared. Sky pulled out the oldest and heated it while trying to think of a way her could repay his friends for going above and beyond the call of duty. The thought was still on his mind as he washed the dinner dishes, swapped the laundry and collapsed into bed.

Sky had been so exhausted that he had been certain he would sleep the whole night through. So he was a little surprised to find himself staring at the clock at 3:41 a.m. He kept absolutely still as he tried to figure out what had woken him up. And there it was again - the soft sound of someone attempting to quietly riffle through a drawer. Sky grabbed his gun and slipped out of bed, his sock-covered feet making no noise on the hardwood floor. He eased himself through the crack of his bedroom door and slithered down the hallway. The moonlight pierced through the thin living room curtains and the detective could easily make out two silhouettes.

"We shouldn't be here," the smaller silhouette - a female - hissed.

"I want a look at those documents. They _can't_ be legal," the larger silhouette - a man- replied gruffly.

"I assure you, they are." Sky stated as he switched on the light and trained his gun on Mr. Carson. Mrs. Carson whimpered beside him. "I'd ask what you're doing in my house but I already know," he stated.

"I thought Bridge lived here," Mr. Carson growled.

"He does," Sky answered simply, watching as realization dawned on their faces. Mr. Carson snorted angrily.

"He's even more of a -" he began but Sky cut him off, cocking the hammer of the gun.

"More of a what?" Sky asked, his tone positively lethal as his protectiveness of Bridge flared. His Neanderthal of a father backed down. After a moment of silence Sky stated, "I am telling you once and for all, leave Bridge alone. You might feel like he owes you something but he owes you _nothing_. Everything Bridge is, everything he does, has _nothing_ to do with you. His is who he is _in spite_ of you, not _because_ of you. He's not yours anymore. And the next time you come around here, I'll shoot. Now get out of our house." A white and shaking man passed Sky and exited and Sky thought that maybe for the first time ever Mr. Carson was shaking from terror instead of anger. Mrs. Carson lingered as Sky lowered his gun.

"He's my son," she whispered.

"Then start treating him like one," he snapped. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she trailed after her husband. Sky locked his door and collapsed back into bed, wishing he had Bridge's steady pulse beneath his fingers to help him sleep.

~Review~


	8. A Calculated Risk

A/N 1: For Miss DJ Classy B, for faithfully reviewing every chapter. And for my beta Heaven's Archer. You haven't gotten to this one yet, so it's my surprise for you!

* * *

Sky was resting his eyes when he heard the door quietly shut. Opening his eyes he took in the sorrowful expression on Kat's face. She sighed heavily before dropping her professional demeanor, dragging the other chair next to Sky and collapsing onto it. Sky took the opportunity to mark the book he had been reading and set it off to the side before grabbing Bridge's wrist in one hand and counting the pulse.

"It doesn't look good, Sky," she stated tiredly. Sky said nothing but continued to count the younger man's heartbeats. "It's been nearly two months," she tried again. "And he hasn't improved."

"I'm not pulling the plug," Sky informed her. Kat sighed before standing and heading toward the door. "And tell that coward to come talk to me himself next time," he added just before Kat exited the room. Kat didn't respond verbally but as the door shut behind her she allowed a chuckle to escape. The head doctor was _still_ reeling from his last argument with the blond. Sky had unleashed his full fury when the doctor had stated that Bridge might be a lost cause; his cutting remarks had reduced the older man to tears. Even now, the mere _thought_ of having to talk to Sky left the man pale-faced and trembling. Still, Kat knew that the doctor had a valid point. Bridge couldn't stay on life support indefinitely.

Back inside the hospital room Sky brushed a lock of hair out of the younger man's face. He knew, logically, that Kat was right but he wasn't ready to let Bridge go yet. He briefly wondered how his mother even _survived_ losing his father. It had obviously driven her over the edge for a while but she had bounced back…sort of. Sky didn't think he'd be able to survive losing Bridge. Sighing heavily, he sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes before digging into his pocket for his cell phone. He scrolled through his contacts before dialing the number he'd been given for emergencies. He needed an unbiased opinion.

* * *

Sky fidgeted nervously as he waited for his guest to arrive. Thanks to Syd and Z his house had been kept in fairly decent shape and well-stocked on food. Still, Sky had scrubbed his house down from top to bottom in anticipation of this meeting. And there was the doorbell, precisely at six o'clock p.m. Sky stood, smoothed out his button down shirt and opened the door.

"Hello, Schuyler," the woman greeted as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Sky smiled at the older woman. She was shorter than the former ranger, though her hair still retained the same shade of blonde. Her smaller frame was still thin but age had settled a certain plumpness to her frame that no amount of exercise would remove.

"Hello, Mother," Sky greeted, grabbing her suitcase off of the porch. Mrs. Tate gracefully glided into her son's house, glad to be inside. She may have defeated her psychosis but she still shunned the city as much as possible. But her son had called and needed her help and since she had been unable to be there for him when he was a child she would be there for him as an adult. She watched with interest as her son took her bags into the master bedroom before returning to the living room. "I could have stayed in the guest room, dear," she stated as she sat on the couch. She had only been here once before - after Sky had first bought the place - but she remembered him mentioning it. Sky sat in Bridge's chair before answering.

"It's…not a guest room anymore." Sky caught the sharp look his mother sent his way but waited to continue, choosing instead to run a shaky hand through his blond locks. They were getting long, he noted absent-mindedly, and he'd have to cut them soon. He cleared his throat. "I turned it into Bridge's office."

"Bridge?" She questioned. The name struck her as familiar but she didn't recall meeting anybody by that name. "Was he a ranger with you?"

"Yeah," Sky smiled shyly. He was pleased his mother remembered; she hadn't been quite 'together' during that part of his life. "He's more than that now. I love him _so much_ and he's…" the former ranger trailed off and looked away as his bit his lip, biting back the tears. He hadn't meant to blurt everything out to his mother all at once but the stress and fatigue mixed with the happiness of having her _remember_ the scientist. He looked up as a soft hand stroked through his hair and his mother smiled down at him.

"Tell me what happened."

And Sky did. He told her _everything._ How they met at the academy. How they fell out of touch. How they reconnected. How they took that next step. All the happiness and growing pains. And finally, the explosion. Bridge's coma. Bridge's parents and all the pain they caused. The hopeless feeling as one by one everybody approached the blond and suggested that they pull the plug.

"I don't know what to do," he finished, voice raw with emotion and looking at her with tears in his eyes. It was then that the older woman realized the depths of her son's emotions. She hadn't seen her stoic son cry since the day his father died - not even at his funeral.

"Are you ready to let him go?" She asked.

"Of course not!" Sky stated, affronted at the mere suggestion.

"Then listen to me," she stated as she took Sky's face in her hands. "You fight for him with everything you have. And when you have nothing left you fight even more." She ordered. "Now, I'm an old lady and I need my rest." She released her son's face and left him contemplating her advice as she shut herself into the master bedroom. When she came out in the morning, Sky was gone.

* * *

Sky had spent a good many hours sitting on the couch and contemplating what his mother had said. So far, the doctors had tried everything they could think of to pull the scientist out of his coma, including throwing ice on the younger man to try and shock him out of it. Brain scans showed normal activity, so there was no logical reason for Bridge to still be in coma. But then again, logic very rarely applied to the former green ranger. With an almost audible 'click' something flashed across Sky's mind and he shot up off his couch and raced out of the door. How could he not have seen the real problem all these months?

His car peeled out of the driveway with a squeal and the drive to the hospital took half the time it normally did. Pulling into the first parking spot he could find, the blond barely remembered to shut the door before sprinting for the building. A slight mist had started, making the pavement slick but Sky refused to slow down, refused to waste anymore precious time. Wet sneakers slid on tiled floors but the former ranger caught his balance and ran like hell for the elevators. Being enclosed in the tiny metal rectangle was interminable but as the doors slid open Sky breathed a sigh of relief and pulled together the remaining energy he had for the spring to his boyfriend's hospital room. Pausing to catch his breath, Sky finally opened the door enough to slip into the darkened room.

Bridge was still laying motionless on the bed but Sky could tell that Lilith had moved him before she fell asleep. Scanning the far-side of the room the blond could just make out her form asleep on the couch but he ignored her for now. She wasn't the reason he was here. Slipping his shoes off, Sky moved stealthily across the room and quietly swung himself onto the bed, straddling the younger man's body. Grabbing Bridge's wrist in a loose grip Sky quickly located his pulse and let it soothe him before he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Bridge's, cradling the back of Bridge's head with his free hand. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions but it would serve its purpose. Focusing on all of the positive emotions that Bridge evoked in him, Sky began casting his shield.

Lilith woke up to a blue aura lighting up the room. Scrambling to untangle herself from the blankets she gasped as she realized that the aura was coming from Sky. She froze in fascination as she watched the aura pulse, though the fierce determination on Sky's face never wavered. Lilith didn't know how long she sat there but as soon as the machines went haywire she bolted out the door, screaming for Kat.

Sky had never felt so exhausted in his life. His body felt as if it were being held down by lead and he was pretty sure someone had pasted his eyelids shut because they simply _would not_ open. His ears seemed to be working just fine, though, going by the annoying buzzing sound that just wouldn't quit. He mentally frowned. There was something important he had been doing before he fell asleep but he couldn't seem to recall what it was. The buzzing sound turned into actual words and the blond decided to listen. Maybe it would remind him of what he was forgetting.

"I don't know how to describe it. There was just this blue light and then the machines started going haywire and - " the voice was drowned out by the bustling noise of metal clinking together.

"Leave him alone. He's not a test subject and -"

"You don't understand! This is an entirely new subject in medicine! No one has _ever_ been able to -"

"He's not your personal guinea pig!" THERE! That was what had been so important! Sky struggled against the excessive weight holding his body down until he finally managed to peel his eyes open. And there, laying next to him on the hospital bed – when had he wound up laying in bed? - was the brown-haired man who had been in a coma the past few months.

"Bridge?" Sky asked weakly. Or attempted to, seeing as his mouth was working about as well as the rest of him.

"Sky?" Bridge asked, turning to the blond. "Oh thank God you're finally awake!" he cried, throwing his arms around the older man as best he could.

"You've been knocked out for three days now," Kat explained. Sky grimaced at that piece of news. "I must say, you gave us all quite a scare, though I think Bridge caught the worst of it when he woke up to you passed out on top of him."

"I'm sorry," Sky whispered to the bundle in his arms. "I didn't mean to scare you." Bridge gave a short laugh.

"You asshole. You nearly killed yourself trying to save me," Bridge whined, curling more tightly into the blond's chest. Sky sighed but refused to apologize for his actions. It had been a risky decision and yes, it nearly killed him but if Bridge had died, Sky would have died as well. So instead, Sky focused on the doctor attempting to creep up on him.

"You so much as try to take a blood sample and I will find a way to chuck you across this room," he warned. The doctor opened his mouth to object – unfortunately, it was a new doctor, not the one that was already petrified of the former ranger – but Kat thankfully stepped in.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I'm afraid that as former rangers, Sky and Bridge do not fall under your authority. You have no authorization to run any tests on them and if you try, they'll be destroyed by the Academy." The doctor scowled but left the room and Kat turned back to her two charges. "You'll be moved to the Academy later this afternoon so you can recover in peace but right now, there's someone who wants to see you." The doctor turned and opened the door, allowing Sky's mother to step in before Kat exited, shutting the door behind her.

"Mom," Sky croaked out, a smile on his face. He could feel Bridge tense in his arms and gave the younger man a reassuring squeeze. There would be no animosity from his mother.

"Schuyler," she greeted with an indulgent smile. "This wasn't quite what I meant when I told you to fight for him." She stated as she slid into one of the chairs by the bed. "Dr. Manx allowed me to smuggle some _real_ food for the two of you but you might want to hurry up and eat it before one of the other doctors sees." She handed over two zip-lock bags but Sky set his down on the stand before grinning and passing the other to Bridge. Taking the bag from the older man, Bridge froze.

"This is buttery toast," he stated as he wiggled his fingers. "Your mother brought me buttery toast," he stated, wiggling his fingers with a look of disbelief on his face. He turned to the older woman, and she smiled at the young scientist.

"I brought you buttery toast," she agreed, wiggling her fingers and Bridge launched himself at the older woman, wrapping her in a hug.

"Thank you, Mrs. Tate." Bridge stated as he tore into the bag.

"Please, call me Mother. After all, we're family," she stated after regaining her composure. Bridge grinned and Sky was happy to see it after so many months. Glad to see that the two most important people in his life were getting along, the older man let their chatter lull him back to sleep.

~Review~

A/N 2: Oh my god, readers, you have no idea how seriously I was contemplating killing Bridge. Not because I have anything against him, mind you! But because I don't think some of you realize how much time and effort it takes to keep several chapter stories going at one time. It gets a little depressing to spend all this time on a story. You spend weeks plotting out the story line and typing up the next chapter. You excitedly upload it onto FanFiction's website and...NO ONE BLOODY REVIEWS! Now, I'm not one to hold a story hostage. I will NEVER say, "Give me this many reviews or I won't upload." But I have other stories to keep up with and if I'm getting more feedback on them then...sadly this story may fall to the side.


	9. Clearing Things Up

Bridge sighed as he collapsed onto the bed. He was tired and sore and thoroughly sick of being in the hospital. But he had been bed-ridden for months and needed to strengthen his muscles before Kat finally released him. Right now he was still getting tired too easily. But more than anything he was bored. Oh Dear GOD was he bored. Sky - bless his heart - had done nothing but sleep all day since saving Bridge's life. Initially, Bridge had thought it was perfectly normal. Then he began to worry. And then he panicked.

"Bridge, I was expecting this," Kat assured him. "He used a tremendous amount of power over an extended period of time in order to save your life."

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes never leaving Sky's face.

"When you slipped into your coma your subconscious tapped into your powers and you connected with every person in the hospital. Even after your brain healed itself you were caught in a web of emotions. When Sky connected with you he had to sever each connection without harming anyone. It took a lot of energy and we're not sure what the repercussions are going to be," she explained.

"With Sky?"

"With you. Sky had to focus your attachment down to a single person to wake you up," she clarified.

"Him," Bridge stated and Kat nodded.

"You haven't felt anyone elses' energy since you woke up, have you?" she asked. Bridge's eyes widened as he realized she was right. "I thought so," she stated, making a notation on his chart. "We'll know for sure when he wakes up but I believe he'll be able to feel your energy as well." At the earnest look on Bridge's face she stated, "I can't give you a timeline, Bridge, but I promise he _will_ quit sleeping all day."

And Kat was right. It took a number of days but Sky finally woke up. Bridge was ecstatic and began babbling. He thought the scowl Sky fixed him with - "Coffee, Bridge. I haven't had coffee." - was the most beautiful thing ever. And it made things a lot easier for Bridge.

When Bridge got frustrated with his physical therapy - why did it take so long to get results? - Sky would listen and let the younger man vent before telling him to suck it up and run through the exercise again. In fact, Sky even joined him sometimes, stretching out his body after days of doing nothing but sleep. Having Sky by his side made things more bearable and Sky always appreciated seeing Bridge's wide smile. Especially since it was just the two of them again. The other rangers had to return to their respective jobs and even Mrs. Tate had departed from the city. Which just made Bridge's boredom even worse, especially since Nick had brought in more cold case files for Sky's review. Which left Bridge at loose ends.

Bridge sighed as he looked around the room. Sky was off doing detective-y stuff in the cafeteria and had banished the younger man after Bridge had decided the microwave would be a horrible death ray. It didn't have any of the necessary parts. He sighed again in irritation - he could feel his brain atrophying! He'd caught up on all his scientific journals and had mentally deconstructed and reconstructed everything in the room. Moaning in irritation he began to recite the first two hundred numbers of pi.

"Hey," Sky greeted, amusement coloring his voice.

"Hey," Bridge greeted, his mood lightening. "You were investigating what the dead know," he told his boyfriend as the blond climbed onto the bed.

"I kept getting distracted," Sky confessed as he smiled fondly at the scientist.

"Bullshit," Bridge laughed. "You never get distracted." Sky smiled and Bridge gasped as he felt an echo of his earlier emotions roll through him. "Oh…" he trailed off and Sky gave him a bemused smile. The former green ranger groaned and leaned into Sky. "I'm used to reading people, not having people read me. I don't know how to shut it off," Bridge whined.

"You'll get it," Sky assured as he pulled the smaller man flush against him. "You just need a little practice."

* * *

Sky suppressed a sigh of irritation as he continued to flick through the latest cold case files. As if it weren't bad enough that he was stuck on cold cases, Kat hadn't cleared him to go back to the precinct. Which meant he was locked in the house with Bridge all day and while normally it wasn't an issue, Sky could feel his thoughts buzzing in the back of his mind. It was really distracting, especially when Bridge forgot how connected the two of them were. Pinching his nose in irritation, the detective tossed the folder onto the table. A flash of hurt raced through him and Sky belatedly realized that he had let his defenses drop and Bridge had heard his thoughts. He sighed and cracked his neck before standing and heading to the lab.

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly when Bridge looked at him. "I've lived with you so long that I'm used to keeping track of my thoughts and emotions."

"I'm _trying_," Bridge stated, distressed. "But it's like having to start all over again." The younger man tugged on his unruly locks in frustration and Sky felt a moments regret at putting his boyfriend through all this. Bridge whipped around and looked at the blond with a heartbroken expression. "You regret this?" he asked in a whisper. Sky shook his head and pulled the scientist into a hug. Now he knew what Kat meant when she warned them of the possibility of confusion while they adjusted.

"I regret doing this to you," the blond confessed. "I didn't even give you a choice in the matter." Bridge sighed but snuggled closer.

"You never had to," Bridge informed him. "You're the only person I'd trust with something like this," he stated, pulling back to look up at the taller man. "I'll talk with Kat, see if she won't let you go back to work."

"Not yet," Sky negated as he shook his head. "Can you honestly tell me that this -" he motioned between them, "doesn't distract you? What happens if I happen to be chasing a perp at the same time you're working with a volatile chemical and I get taken down? Does your hand slip and cause another lab explosion? Do you even know?" he asked.

"You're right." Bridge agreed, leaning his head against the blond's shoulder.

"We're going to figure this out. But I _am_ going to get frustrated. You just need to remember that I'm not frustrated with _you_, okay?" Sky asked, tightening his arms when he felt the scientist nod against his shoulder. "Okay. You want dinner?"

And so things continued between them. They'd tiptoe around each other until it finally got to be too much and they had an explosive fight before making up and starting the entire process all over again. But the fights were beginning to take their toll and Sky feared that their relationship was unraveling at the seams. Panicked, he called Kat.

"Okay, I'm not a psychiatrist but it seems most of your problems are stemming from two central issues. First, Bridge is feeling some jealousy over how easily you keep a reign on your thoughts and emotions. Logically, he knows you've had years more practice but emotionally…"

"So what do I do?" he asked.

"Loosen your grip," Kat advised. "Let him feel that he's not the only person capable of sharing. Now, the second problem is your residual feelings of guilt and your worry about what happens next."

"Yeah, what are we going to do about that?" he asked sarcastically.

"I can't make your guilt disappear. You and Bridge need to work on that yourself. However, if Bridge is willing I'd like him to work with me at the Academy," she informed him.

"That could work." Sky answered after a moment of thinking it over. "Thanks, Kat. I'll have him call you." He hung up feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't wait to tell Bridge the good news. It didn't go as planned.

"So basically you want me to take Kat's job offer so she can baby-sit me? Did it never cross your mind that I _like_ my job?" he asked bitterly, crossing his arms.

"Bridge…" Sky stated, taken aback by the former green ranger's behavior. "I'm not saying that you should take the job. I'm saying that the offer is there and it's a good offer. But ultimately the final decision is yours."

"But you'd prefer if I took it." Bridge stated, glaring.

"Well, yes," Sky told him honestly. The younger man snorted.

"That's so typical of you," he shouted. "You want everyone in the safest place possible but have absolutely no reservations about throwing yourself into danger."

"I'm just doing my job," Sky stated.

"You're chomping at the bit for Kat to clear you so you can get off cold cases and back to homicide." Bridge told him and the former blue ranger sighed.

"Bridge…" he began but the younger man turned on his heel and began striding away.

"Forget it. If you're so eager to throw yourself into danger, who am I to stop you?" he asked as he left the room.

"I work homicide because tracking down a person's killer helps bring closure to the grieving families - closure my mom and I never got." Sky told the empty room.

When Bridge came out of his lab, Sky was gone.

* * *

It had been three hours since Bridge had discovered his boyfriend was missing. He tried to recall exactly what Sky had been feeling before he disappeared - it could possibly tell Bridge where Sky had gone - but even though he must have been in distress, Sky had kept it hidden and that made Bridge feel even worse.

After calling every single contact he could think of, Bridge fell back on the couch. He was ready to cry but refused to let the tears fall. He and Sky had only just gotten each other back and the former green ranger refused to let go of the best thing that had ever happened to him without a fight - even if it was himself he was fighting. After all, he had instigated the confrontation. _Why_ did he have to sabotage every relationship he had? Oh yes, residual feelings of inadequacy courtesy of his parents. Shoving the thought away, the scientist contemplated jumping into the car and looking for the blond but quickly dismissed the idea. It did, however, prompt the younger man to check whether or not Sky had taken his car when he left. Tugging the curtain out of the way, Bridge relaxed. If the car was still in the driveway then there was a 94% chance that the blond would come home that night. The scientist sighed in relief- those were good odds. Still, the complete silence left the man tense and anxious - constantly biting his lower lip and checking his phone. And completely missing the shadow which passed by the front window. A knock at the door had the scientist scrambling over the back of the couch and rushing to answer it. It was only after he had the door halfway opened that he realized that Sky would have just walked in.

"Oh…it's you," he greeted, heaving a sigh. He did, however, let his arm drop from the door and step back.

"Bridge," his mother greeted him with a soft smile. His father scowled, per usual.

"Thought you'd still be in a coma," he stated.

"Thought? Or hoped?" Bridge asked distractedly as he checked his phone for the umpteenth time. Receiving no answer, he glanced up to see a strained smile on his mother's face and a dark scowl on his father's. It was only then Bridge realized that he had talked back at his parents for the first time ever. And it felt _really _good.

"Your father and I thought that it might be best if you changed your documents back." Mrs. Carson began. "With your friend in daily danger…if something were to happen to both of you at the same time…"

"That's why we have back-ups," Bridge stated, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now, if there's nothing else I can help you with…actually, even if there _is_ the door will be more of a help to you than I will," he stated as he crossed his arms and stared at his parents defiantly.

"Change the paperwork back," his father bit out.

"No."

"We just want what's best for you," his mother tried to placate.

"No, you want what's best for _you_," Bridge countered.

"We're your real family," his father hissed.

"But you're not." Bridge stated, realization dawning on him. All those years he'd felt like he'd been letting his parents down when they'd really been letting him down. How those feelings of inadequacy had carried over to his personal relationships, always making Bridge feel like he was never good enough for the other person. His fight with Sky that morning. "You may have created me but you were _never_ my family," Bridge stated. "Families are kind. They protect you. They raise you. I was protected by my squad - by Sky. I was raised by Crueger and Kat. _They're_ my family, _this_ is my home and _you_ aren't welcome here." He glared at his parents through narrowed eyes as his chest rose and fell in time with his heavy breathing. Gob-smacked expressions were plastered on both his parents' faces before his father finally roused himself from his stupor, grabbing his wife and all but fleeing from the house. As the door slammed shut Bridge sank down into his chair, his limbs shaking as the adrenaline wore off. He wasn't sure how long he sat there but he felt the adrenaline rush through his system once again as the door opened softly. Fearing that his father had changed his mind, Bridge stood and tensed for a fight only to launch himself across the room.

"Bridge, are you okay? I just saw your parents - oof!" Sky stumbled under the sudden weight of his younger lover.

"_Sky, I'msosorryIwasmeantoyou. MyparentsalwaysmademefeellikeIwasn__'tgoodenoughandwhenyoulinkedusandhadsuchaneasytime controllingit," -a deep breath - "Igotjealousandfrustratedandlashedoutand _I'M SORRY," he said hurriedly, burying his face in the crook of Sky's neck.

"I know," Sky stated as he adjusted his grip to better support the long legs wrapped around his waist.

"But I was mean to you," Bridge whispered.

"Yeah, you were," Sky agreed. "And we're going to talk about it and work through it, because we're going to clear up some misconceptions your _parents_," he spat out the word, "clearly left you with." He settled himself down onto the sofa but made no move to displace the younger man from his lap. "The first being the ridiculous idea that I'm waiting around for you to fuck up." He felt Bridge tense, but continued on. "Because that's not fair and you don't get to do that. I _know_ your parents fucked with your head and I think you're a hell of a lot better at punishing yourself than you give yourself credit for," Sky stated softly. "But you don't get to purposely sink our relationship just because you have difficulty blocking your thoughts."

"Sky," Bridge whined. Sometimes the younger man forgot just how _good _Sky was at reading people.

"I…Love…You," Sky continued unrepentantly. "That's all there is to it. It's not collateral, Bridge. I'm not saying it so you'll take Kat's job. You don't _owe_ me anything for it, I just do," he stated, pulling back and forcing the younger man to look at him. Bridge blinked at him for a moment, looking like a small, lost child before he sighed, letting the fight drain out of him and leaving him limp and exhausted against Sky's body, though his grip on the older man remained tight, even as the blond moved them into their bedroom.

"Can you just…" Bridge trailed off. "Just don't let go."

"Never," Sky responded, wrapping his arms around the scientist. It's as much a statement as it is a promise and Bridge fell into an easy sleep. After all, Sky was always one to keep his promises.

~Review~

A/N: This marks the "official" completion of this story, though there will probably be the occasional update. Right now, however, I've got too many multi-chapter stories going on and I feel comfortable leaving this one where it is.


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